Celso de los Angeles, in a two-part interview with ABS-CBN News Channel's Big Picture, said that if the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) did not intevene, his business would still be running smoothly.

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) on Monday said no case has yet been filed against Celso delos Angeles, owner of the Legacy Group, close to two months after 13 rural banks controlled by Legacy collapsed because of allegedly questionable investment schemes.

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) is set to file a fresh wave of fraud charges against Legacy rural bank officials including Sto. Domingo, Albay Mayor Celso de los Angeles Jr., former chairman of the Legacy Group.

After the Legacy Consolidated Plans Inc. of the Legacy Group became the subject of several complaints from its planholders and investors, another pre-need company is now embattled with the same complaint. Parents Enabling Parents (PEP) is encouraging holders of Pryce Plan, Inc. to "come out in the open and join the group."

MANDAUE City Mayor Jonas Cortes wants to ban large trucks from the main streets during the rush hour starting next month to decongest traffic. Cortes said the plan is to keep vehicles with six wheels and more from using the main streets from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. and from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. These streets include the North Road and Plaridel St. The ban will be imposed only on weekdays, not on weekends and holidays. Buses and other public utility vehicles will be exempted.

The top official of the Philippine Nursing Association (PNA) has bewailed the 44.5 percent passing rate in the recent nursing board exams, saying that those who want to take up nursing in college should be screened to make sure they are up to it academically.

A supporter of suspected coup plotter Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim on Monday said they are not part of any attempt to overthrow the Arroyo administration. Former Armed Forces Northern Luzon Command chief (ret) Lt. Gen. Romeo Dominguez led the group who signed a manifesto of support to Lim where they cited their aspiration for "peace, progress and prosperity."

Senators seek Ombudsman resignation The Senate Blue Ribbon committee report on the fertilizer scam has articulated what the first Senate report under former Senator Ramon Magsaysay failed to do so. It takes to task President Arroyo for coddling the alleged perpetrators and seeks the resignation of Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez for turning a blind eye on the scam.

Members of the House of Representatives said they will approve the P11.3-billion proposed supplemental budget for the automation of the May 2010 elections, subject to "conditions." House Speaker Prospero Nograles said the "money will not be spent unless and until the procedure on how to automate it [elections], whether full or partial, and details of [the] implementation, including that of the character and integrity of the bidding, and [the] reliability of the machines, are satisfactorily explained to members of Congress."

The House and the Senate will engage in "backchannel talks" to discuss a new agrarian reform law to replace the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law, which has only until June 30 this year, Speaker Prospero Nograles said on Monday.

For all Filipino World War II Veterans applying to receive their benefits under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, the U.S. Embassy advises that there is no need to rush to the U.S. Embassy. Applications will be accepted for one year, until February 16, 2010. Please bring no more than two companions or helpers.

More than three months after they were seized by Somali pirates in the pirate-infested Gulf of Aden, 18 Filipino seafarers of a Japanese-owned tanker returned to the country from Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on Monday afternoon.

A homemade bomb planted by suspected Muslim rebels exploded prematurely yesterday night at the Kidapawan City plaza, but no injuries were reported. The blast shortly after 6:30 p.m. local time in Kidapawan city was caused by an improvised bomb fashioned from 81- milimiter mortar shell attached to a mobile phone as detonator.

The conflicting claims over the Spratlys group of islands are not likely to be discussed when the 10 ASEAN heads of state meet in Thailand this weekend for the regional bloc's first summit since its charter came into force last December, a senior Philippine diplomat said Monday.

A 50-year-old woman who chose the plate number of a passing car near a lotto outlet to complete her ticket claimed her prize of P173 million at the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) at noon yesterday. The woman is one of only two winners of the Super Lotto 6/49 game with the combination (in any order) 6-34-33-20-26-12, which carried a pot of P347,836,903.20, the biggest PCSO jackpot to date.

Don de Leon, chief of staff of the PCSO chairman's office, said the woman from Caloocan, an employee in a private company, was accompanied by her husband and 25-year-old son when she claimed the prize yesterday.

He said she had bet on six sets of combination numbers that amounted to P120. She got the numbers from the birthday of a family member, her wedding anniversary, home address and the plate number of a passing car near a lotto outlet in Malibay, Pasay City.